Structural member and wall assembly including same

ABSTRACT

AN ELONGATED UNITARY L-SHAPED METAL MEMBER HAS ONE FLANGE PROVIDED WITH A SERIES OF STRIKE-OUTS FORMING TABS WHICH ARE INTEGRAL WITH THE FLANGE ALONG THE DISTAL EDGE PORTION OF THE FLANGE AND WHICH ARE BENDABLE TO A POSITION NORMAL TO SUCH FLANGE FOR SECURING THE MEMBER TO A WALL. THE RESULTING MEMBER SERVES AS A FURRING MEMBER FOR RETAINING INSULATING PANELS AND FOR SUPPORTING WALLBOARD FINISHING PANELS ON A MASONRY EXTERIOR WALL.

Feb. 9,1971

J. K. vylslz 3,561,180

STRUCTURAL MEMBER AND WALL ASSEMBLY INCLUDING SAME I I Fi led Oct. 11, 1'9es Patented Feb. 9, 1971 3,561,180 STRUCTURAL MEMBER AND WALL ASSEMBLY INCLUDING SAME John K. Wise, Glenview, Ill., assignor to United States Gypsum Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 11, 1968, Ser. No. 766,920 Int. Cl. E041) /52; E04c 3/08 US. Cl. 52-361 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention pertains to metal members for use in building construction and more particularly pertains to metal furring members, such as for retaining insulating panels and supporting interior wall components on a masonry exterior wall.

Previously proposed means of securing panels of insulation and a covering surface to a wall, such as a masonry exterior wall, have included the use of clips and beads of adhesive and various combinations of these fastening means. Such prior constructions using anchoring clips have included Z-shaped clips having a pair of flanges connected by a web, wherein one flange was secured to the wall and the other flange overlaid a room-side portion of a panel of insulation and supported screwattached covering wall panels. One problem arising from this type of construction was the difficulty of locating the near flange of the clip when the wall panel was placed over the insulation. Another problem arising from such construction was the subsequent appearance of shadows or discoloration on the room side of the covering wall surface overlying each clip, as a result of heat transfer from the room-side surface to the exterior wall. In short, the clips provided local areas of greater heat transfer through the wall assembly than did the areas between the clips. In some cases the use of clips and/or beads of adhesive did not provide an adequate amount of securement. Continuous furring members also have been proposed, such as Z-shaped metal furring members, to minimize the aforementioned locating problem. However, the

heat transfer and related discoloration problems have re quired special designs or constructions with such members to control the heat transfer.

It is an object of this invention to provide a solution to the aforenoted problems.

It is a further object of this invention to provide for convenient and economical securement of finishing wall components to a wall, with a low coefficient of heattransfer between the finishing components and the wall in the area of securement.

It is a further object of this invention to provide for convenient and economical assembly of insulating panels and overlying finishing wall panels on a masonry wall, while providing adequate securement for the insulation and the finishing panels and eliminating problems of discoloration or shadowing due to differentials in heat transfer rates in various areas of the finished wall assembly.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved furring member.

Further and additional objects and advantages will appear from the description, accompanying drawings and appended claims.

In one embodiment of this invention, an elongated metal member is provided having a longitudinally extending support flange with a distal edge, a plurality of longitudinally spaced mounting tabs formed from the support flange, with each of the tabs being bendably connected to the flange adjacent its distal edge for bending displacement to a position generally normal to the support flange, and a longitudinal mounting flange extending from the opposite edge of said support flange. Fasteners may be driven through the tabs for securing the member to a support wall as a furring member for retaining insulation panels and for supporting finishing wall components.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference should now be had to the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing and described below, by way of example of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a wall assembly embodying teachings of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the furring member of the assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged top view of a portion of the assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a structural member adapted for use as a furring member in an assembly as in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view illustrating an intermediate step in the assembling of the member of FIG. 4 in a wall assembly as in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a partial side view of a modified furring member, for use in an assembly as in FIG.1, and

FIG. 7 is a partial top view similar to FIG. 3 illustrating another modification of the furring member.

The wall assembly 10 illustrated in FIG. 1, includes an outer wall 12, a metal furring member 14 secured to the wall, insulating panels 16, and interior finishing panels .18 secured to the furring member. The wall 12 is of masonry construction such as concrete, stone, brick, masonry blocks or the like. Panels 16 are panels, boards, or blocks of insulating material such as an expanded polystyrene or urethane resin possessing sufiicient integrity to maintain their form during handling and subsequent to installation. The illustrated finishing panels 18 are gypsum wallboard, i.e., a cast gypsum core within a paper sheath.

Referring also to FIGS. 2 and 3, furring member 14 is a unitary element comprising a planar support flange 22 and a planar lateral flange 24 extending from one edge of the flange 22, whereby flanges 22 and 24 are of an L configuration in cross section. A plurality of mounting tabs 26 are struck from support flange 22. Each of the tabs 26 includes a base section 28 which is integral with the flange 22 adjacent its distal edge 22a, and a body section 30 extending from the base section and including a pair of laterally extending ear portions 30a and 30b. Each tab is displaced by bending to a position in which its body section 30 extends substantially at right angles to web flange 22 adjacent edge 22a, on the side of flange 2 opposite flange 24. Thereby the flanges 22 and 24 together with tabs 26 define a Z configuration in cross section, with support flange 22 serving as the web portion, see FIG. 3. The outer surfaces of the body sections 30 and the distal edge 22a are substantially coplanar in that they lie in or adjacent the same plane.

Suitable driven fasteners 32 extend through the tab sections 30 and penetrate the masonry to secure the member 14 to wall 12. Preformed openings for receiving fasteners 32 may be provided in sections 30, as indicated at 33 in FIG. 4 if desired.

Flange 24 may define an included angle with support flange 22 of slightly less than 90", whereby flange 24 will be inclined slightly toward the wall when the member 14 is installed, if desired.

It Will be appreciated that the described construction provides minimal heat conductive contact between member 14 and wall 12. Edge 22a may abut the wall, and tab sections 30 are in compressive contact with the wall due to the force of application of fasteners 32. However, the abutment of edge 22a provides only a small theoretical area of physical contact, and even this contact area normally will be further reduced due to the inherent irregularities in the surface of the wall and any imperfections in bending tabs 26 and installing the member 14. Moreover, the cumulative contact area of sections 30 is relatively small, and these sections are in heat conductive connection with flange 22 only through the base sections 28 which are of relatively small cross section. Thereby, heat conductivity between wall 12 and panels 18 is minimized.

The conductive contact between member 14 and the support wall 12 may be further reduced by so disposing tabs 26 as to support flange 22 with the edge 22a spaced from the wall, as described further below. However, the described abutting relation is preferred due to the added support rigidity which it affords.

FIG. 4 illustrates a portion of a right angular member 14a for forming a furring member 14. Tabs 26 are defined by suitable lines of severance 36 terminating adjacent the distal edge 22a of flange 22 where they define the base sections 28. These lines of severance may be formed by any suitable means, as by stamping.

The tabs 26 may be bent from the flange 22, to their angular mounting positions, prior to assembly of the resulting member 14 on a wall. For instance, such forming of the tabs may be performed by stamping and bending as a further step following the stamp-cutting of lines 36.

Firm supportive abutment of edge 22a with Wall 12 may be insured by preforming tabs 26 to a position wherein the outer surfaces of sections 30 remain slightly offset inward of the distal edge 22a, i.e., toward flange 24, see FIG. 6. Thereby, driving of fasteners 32 to a fully seated position will provide additional deformation of neck sections 28 to move the tab sections 30 outward to a position coplanar with edge 22a as in FIG. 3, and will draw edge 22a into firm contact with the wall. Alternatively, where such supportive abutment is not necessary, the tabs may be preformed to a position in which the outer surfaces of sections 30 are slightly offset outward of edge 2211. There- 'by, edge 22a will remain in spaced relation to the adjacent surface of wall 12 when the tabs are secured thereto, as illustrated in FIG. 7. The latter arrangement minimizes heat conduction between the member 14 and the wall 12.

In one assembly method, angle members 1411 may be shipped to the construction site and the tab bending accomplished on the site. For instance, as shown in FIG. 5, member 14a may be positioned with flange 22 in face-toface engagement with wall 12, and fasteners 32 then may be driven through the tabs 26 and into the wall. Thereafter, the member 14a is grasped, by hand or with suitable leverage tools, and forcibly rotated to the upright position of the member 14 illustrated in FIG. 1. The fasteners will maintain tab sections 30 in contact with the wall during this erecting movement, and the base sections will bend to permit the relative displacement of the components. There is a slight retractive movement of edge 22a toward the tab sections 30 and a slight lifting from the wall surface of the integral bending junctions between base sections 28 and flange 22 in this erection process. This interaction insures firm contact between edge 22a and the wall 12 and provides firm supportive abutment of the flange 22 with the wall.

The foregoing fabrication and assembly method may be found particularly convenient and economical for packaging shipping and installing furring members 14 fabricated of suitable light gauge metal. For instance, for furring gypsum wallboard panels 18 as in FIG. 1 Where rotary, self-tapping fasteners 38 are used to secure the panels 18 to flanges 24, members 14 may be formed of 22 gauge (about 0.034") hot-dipped galvanized steel. By way of further illustration, in such a member 14 tabs having base portions about %1 wide may be formed at intervals of 12", i.e., 12 on center, along flange 22. The base portions 28 may be spaced about A" from distal edge 22a; that is, cut lines 36 may terminate about A" from the distal edge of flange 22. The base sections 28, particularly with supportive abutment of edge 22a with the wall 12, provide adequate support to maintain the flange 24 in spaced relation to the wall and to support the interior wall.

As illustrated in FIG. 1 the support flange 22 of each member 14 extends between the edges of adjacent panels 16. Flange 24 overlies the edge portion of the panel at one side of the respective joint and may serve to retain that panel during installation, prior to application of the interior panels 18. Generally, a furring member 14 is installed with each course of insulation panels or blocks. Accordingly, the panel having a free edge at each joint, i.e., overlying tabs 26, normally is retained by a furring member 14 along its opposite edge. In any event, the panels 16 ultimately are covered and held in place by the interior panels 18.

During assembly, an insulation panel 16 may be positioned on the wall 12, a member 14 then placed with its flange 24 overlying an edge portion of this panel, and the fasteners 32 subsequently driven through tabs 26 and into the wall 12 to mount the member 14 and to retain the insulation panel underlying flange 24. The tabs may be prebent during manufacture as aforenoted or at the job site, or may be bent by the installer immediately prior to driving the fasteners. In any event, the fasteners 32 are driven to secure each member 14 in place prior to the placement of the panel 16 which overlies the respective tabs 26.

The insulation material normally is of sufficiently low compressive strength for the tabs and fastener heads to be impressed thereinto. Alternatively, support flange 22 may be of adequate width to accommodate the insulation over the tabs. The aforementioned inclination of flange 24 may be utilized to provide slight resilient gripping of the insulation panel or panels thereunder as an aid in temporarily supporting the panels during installation.

After the members 14 and panels 16 are in place, the covering panels 18 are positioned and are secured to the flanges 24 by driving fasteners 38 through these panels and through the underlying flanges 24. The panels 18 may be positioned with their longitudinal side edges extending either horizontally, transverse to the members 14, or vertically, parallel to members 14, as desired. The fasteners 38 may extend into the panels 16, and may, for instance, be self-tapping rotary screw fasteners as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,056,234.

The insulation panels 16 normally will be of an appropriate size so that an attachment flange 24 of a member 14 is disposed beneath each vertical joint between the overlying interior panels 18. Further, depending upon the size of the insulation panels and of the interior panels, a member or members 14 may lie between such joints, with the overlying interior panels 18 being secured to the flanges 24 thereof for additional support of the interior panels 18.

Other embodiments will be apparent from the foregoing disclosure. For example, where the interior covering is plaster, the lath component may be secured to the attachment flange. Also, for installation convenience, mounting tabs may be provided in members 14a at closer intervals than is necessary for adequate support of a relatively long member 14. Thereby, appropriate support tabs may be selected and used by the installer as deemed convenient and necessary in the circumstances of a particular installation of these members in a wall assembly.

It will be appreciated that a unique and economical structure has been provided Which meets the aforestated objects.

While particular embodiments of this invention are shown and described above, it Will be understood that the invention is not to be limited thereto since many modifications may be made by those skilled in the art, particularly in light of the foregoing disclosure. Accordingly, it is contemplated by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. A wall assembly comprising a masonry Wall, panels of insulating material overlying one surface of said masonry wall, a plurality of elongated metal furring members, each of said members including a support flange extending generally normal to said masonry wall between adjacent insulating panels and having a distal edge adjacent said wall, a plurality of longitudinally spaced strikeout mounting tabs formed from said support flange, each of said tabs being integral with said support flange adjacent said distal edge and extending beneath the adjacent edge portion of one of said adjacent panels, said tabs being secured to said masonry wall, and an attachment flange overlying the adjacent edge portion of the other of said adjacent panels, and surface wall components overlying said insulating panels and said attachment flanges and secured to said attachment flanges.

2. A wall assembly comprising a wall, an elongated furring member including a support flange extending longitudinally of said member and having a distal edge adjacent said Wall, said support flange being disposed at a substantial angle to the adjacent surface of said wall, an attachment flange extending fro-m said support flange and spaced from said distal edge and from said wall, a plurality of longitudinally spaced strike-out mounting tabs formed from said support flange, each of said tabs being integral With said support flange adjacent said distal edge and including a mounting sections extending substantially parallel to said adjacent surface, said mounting sections being secured to said Wall for supporting said member thereon.

3. An elongated furring member of L-conflguration in cross section consisting of a support flange and a lateral flange, said support flange extending longitudinally of said member, said lateral flange extending from one edge of said support flange generally normal thereto, whereby said support flange has a free terminal edge remote from said lateral flange, and said support flange having a plurality of longitudinally spaced strike-out mounting tabs formed therefrom; each of said tabs including a base to receive a fastener therethrough; and each of said base sections being of a length, from said body section to such bendable connection with said support flange, such that each of said tabs may be bent to a position in which said body section thereof extends generally normal to said support flange and is substantially coplanar with said terminal edge, whereby said member may be secured to a support element with said terminal edge adjacent such element and with said lateral flange in spaced generally parallel relation to the adjacent surface of such element by fasteners extending through said body sections.

4. An elongated furring member consisting of a support flange, a lateral flange, and a plurality of longitudinally spaced strike-out mounting tabs formed from said support flange, said support flange extending longitudinally of said member, said lateral flange extending from one edge of said support flange generally normal thereto, whereby said flanges are of L-configuration in cross section and said support flange has a free terminal edge remote from said lateral flange; each of said tabs including a base section bendably connected to said support flange adjacent said free terminal edge and extending away from said edge, and a body section extending from said base section in a direction away from said edge; each of said tabs being connected to said support flange only along said bendable connection of said base section and said support flange; each of said body sections including laterally extending ear portions and being of a width greater than said base section, each body section being of a size to receive a fastener therethrough; a plurality of said tabs being bent to a position in which they are disposed with said body sections thereof extending generally normal to said support flange and in a direction opposite that of said lateral flange, said last-mentioned body sections being substantially coplanar with said terminal edge and lying in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of said lateral flange, whereby said member may be secured to a support element with said terminal edge adjacent such element and with said lateral flange in spaced generally parallel relation to the adjacent surface of such element by fasteners extending through said body sections.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,277,514 9/1918 Widmer 52361 1,595,673 8/1926 Magney et al. 52356 1,714,174 5/1929 Lichtenberg et al. 52-105 1,862,831 6/1932 Ryan 52354 2,064,910 12/1936 Harper 52-673 FOREIGN PATENTS 143,635 9/1951 Australia 52354 FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner J. L. RIDGILL, 111., Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

